Development Moves

Pop Monkey Productions, the LA based production company set up by former FremantleMedia executives is expanding its reach with the opening of a UK office. Based initially at Advision TV Studios in Kent, the company will fund a number of unscripted and multiplatform pilots every year using their broadcast studio facilities. Pop Monkey will use this UK base to manage its expanding slate of development in the UK and Europe.

Co-founders and development execs, Chuck Thomas and Simone Thorogood will head up the UK office while the company will continue to be headquartered in LA under the direction of Syd Vinnedge and Hugh Wright.

The move follows Pop Monkey’s push into original content and ownership of unscripted format rights. This comes after recently closing format deals with Sony Pictures Television (USA), TF1 Productions (France), Absolutely Independent (Netherlands) and ohm:tv (Germany). The company has also just signed a joint venture with Miditech in India, the local producer behind Indian Idol and Survivor.

In acquisition news, Pop Monkey has just picked up UK and US rights to “Guerilla Grill” (RTL Klub, Hungary), in addition to “Catch 21” (GSN, USA) and “In The Dark” (which has aired in more than 20 countries).

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